DENVER – DECEMBER 11: Cornerback Karl Paymah #41 of the Denver Broncos runs on the field during the game against the Baltimore Ravens on December 11, 2005 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won 12-10. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

On Friday night at a Twin Cities hotel, after his fifth free-agent visit, cornerback Karl Paymah weighed his options.

The Vikings — most notably player personnel vice president Rick Spielman — did not want Paymah to leave Minnesota without a contract. In the end, Paymah’s Vikings visit dragged on and he missed his flight for Denver, giving him plenty of time to think in his Twin Cities hotel room.

“I tried to weed out everything,” Paymah said Saturday after agreeing to terms with the Vikings on a one-year contract. “I thought, ‘What’s most important?’ ”

A third-round pick of the Denver Broncos, Paymah steadily grew as a player over the past four seasons. He started three games in 2007, and he was ahead of Domonique Foxworth on the depth chart before the 2008 season, empowering the Broncos to trade him to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round pick.

Paymah started two games in place of perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey last season, but he was replaced by rookie Josh Bell.

Paymah didn’t want to get into specifics, but he alluded to issues with the Broncos, who ousted head coach Mike Shanahan and most of the assistants.

“It’s over with. I can’t dwell on it,” Paymah said. “But I want a good situation. I just want to know, at the end of the day, that the best players will get on the field. I know the Vikings will do that.”

That Foxworth parlayed a solid season in Atlanta into a four-year, $28 million contract — including $16.5 million in guarantees — isn’t lost on Paymah, who is looking forward to being a free agent again next offseason. To that end, Paymah said his main reason for joining the Vikings was the team’s playoff potential and quality coaches.

“I got the talent,” Paymah said, “but not the guidance. They got a legendary staff.”

“I was excited about what I could learn from them,” Paymah said. “I just want to reach my potential.”

Paymah said he is more of an outside cornerback. That means if he wins the nickel job, Antoine Winfield likely would move into the slot.

The Vikings now have plenty of players to compete at cornerback. They have former third-round pick Marcus McCauley under his rookie contract, and they re-signed Benny Sapp and Charles Gordon. But Gordon is still recovering from a broken leg, and McCauley barely played last season.

Paymah also visited with the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he said he spoke to many “sources” who confirmed that the Vikings would be a great fit for him.

“Other teams wanted to play games,” Paymah said. “But the Vikings were the most honest and straight up.”

Stallworth was headed toward the beach when he hit Mario Reyes, 59, around 7 a.m., said Miami Beach police spokesman Juan Sanchez. The pedestrian was taken to a nearby trauma center, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. Reyes was near a crosswalk, but it’s not clear if he was crossing legally.

Stallworth, 28, was cooperating and no charges have been filed, Sanchez said.

Packers, Favre will try again: The Green Bay Packers will retire Brett Favre’s famed No. 4 jersey at some point, and team president and CEO Mark Murphy envisions a day when Favre is once again part of the family.

But given the messy divorce between Favre and the Packers last year, the reconciliation — and the ceremony — probably won’t happen this year.

Briefly: The Denver Broncos insist quarterback Jay Cutler isn’t on the market. His house, though, is another matter. Cutler put his 7,516-square-foot, four-bedroom, seven-bath home in suburban Castle Pines up for sale for $2 million.

Detroit acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson from Seattle for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a fifth-round pick in next month’s NFL draft. Both players must pass physicals to complete the trade.

Jacksonville wide receiver Matt Jones has been released a day early from a weeklong stay in jail in Little Rock, Ark., for drinking beer in violation of his plea agreement for a drug charge.

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